I have a friend. Let’s call her India. Now, India is shocking with her finances (her friends Paris and Athena are just the same). India, Paris and Athena used to complain at being charged a whacking £30 for buying one cocktail too many and going nominally overdrawn.

But soon the £100 or so they'd accrue in any given month became drowned in their sea of standing orders, direct debits, overdraft fees, credit card levies, and the like.

Imagine India and Paris's delight when Athena told them of a scheme she'd come across to recoup all those bank charges. Yep, she told them, she'd just had £1,000 deposited into her account.

India and Paris's eyes lit. They went online. They paid £80 to the local courts. They totted up their charges over the past five years. They sued. They waited. The banks defended. The girls became scared. They tried to retract, but the kindly court warden said, "don't worry, little ones, persevere and you'll have a nice surprise in store". India and Paris continued until the big bad banks posited fat payments into their accounts.